Fitbit to start tracking menstrual cycles

Fitbit is branching out and will offer women the ability to track their menstrual cycle through its app.

Users will be able to record data about their periods, including logging dates and symptoms, and receive predictions about when to expect their next period.

They'll also be able to connect with others in a community section.

The tracking option will be available for all Fitbit app users from May, and on Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa devices.

It's not the first menstrual cycle app, with several popular apps such as Clue and Flo already on the market, but it's the first time Fitbit has offered the tracking option.

According to a Fitbit survey, 80 percent of women didn't know how many phases were in a menstrual cycle and over 70 percent did not know the average length of a cycle.

Boston University School of Medicine professor and Fitbit advisor Dr. Katharine White said: "Female health tracking will empower women with a greater understanding of their menstrual cycles in conjunction with their physical and mental health, as they start to recognise what are normal trends over time versus what could be an issue to share with their doctor."

Dr White said Fitbit could help to create "one of the largest databases of menstrual health metrics in the world".

She said it would give healthcare professionals and academics improved opportunities to study menstrual cycles and women's health.